Press release

Volcano eruption in DR Congo

Assessing impact and continued monitoring

23 May 2021  /  DR Congo

Jonathan Kyle

jonathan.kyle@medair.org
Communications Manager

The first reports of a volcanic eruption near Goma reached our team shortly after 19h00 local time on Saturday, 22 May, 2021. Our office is based in the city and we were grateful that no one from our team was directly affected.

The lava flow was monitored throughout the night. The team responsible for the programme was in close contact with the staff in Goma. In case of an emergency, they prepared for a possible evacuation, which fortunately was not necessary.

During the night the flow of lava was monitored and the programme team kept in contact with staff living in Goma. The sky was red and smoke and ash filled the air as lava flowed toward the north-east of town. The team mobilised quickly in anticipation of possible evacuation, but this was not necessary.

“In this situation we work closely with our humanitarian colleagues to share information and confirm the reports we are receiving. There was a lot of conflicting information, especially on social media, but we monitored conditions through the night and are relieved to know that the flow of lava has stopped,” said Duncan Fleck, Medair Country Director for DR Congo. Lava stopped about one and a half kilometres north of the level of the airport in Goma and non-essential flights have been paused.

“In the coming days we will focus on understanding the level of impact on people affected by the volcano eruption, and determining how our programmes might be impacted by ongoing volcanic activity and limitations on flights at the airport,” said Fleck. Disruption of flights could affect movement of staff and goods, including medical supplies and medication. For people in the Goma area this comes on top of many other challenges and shocks, including COVID-19, and the fact they live in the shadow of Mount Nyiragongo which last erupted in 2002, destroying much of the town and causing displacement and loss of people’s homes.

Medair provided humanitarian aid services to more than 1.6 million people in DR Congo in 2020. Our emergency health activities support clinics in rural areas including responding to population displacement and disease outbreaks with mass vaccination campaigns, treatment of acute malnutrition in children, and improving access to sanitation and safe water sources.

Media enquiries should be directed to:

In DR Congo:
Jonathan Kyle, Communications Manager (French, English)
jonathan.kyle@medair.org

In Switzerland:
Jean-Bernard Palthey, Director of Engagement (French, English)
jean-bernard.palthey@medair.org

Daniela Doenges, Press Officer (German, English)
daniela.doenges@medair.org

Medair is an international humanitarian NGO that provides emergency relief and recovery services to families made vulnerable by natural disasters, conflicts, and other crises. For regular updates, please check www.medair.org  or Twitter @MedairInt  For more information on Medair’s DR Congo programme, click here.